Overview

Annapurna Circuit Trek covers five districts of Nepal; Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, and Kaski. It takes more or less 20 days to complete the trek. The trek begins from eye-catching rice fields of lowlands and reach one of the highest passes Thorong La (5,416m). The path goes through the gorges of Marshyangdi River before swinging west into the dried land of Mustang. And also in the north, you can see the beautiful Annapurna Himalayas. The trek starts with a 7hr drive from Kathmandu to Besi Sahar through the Prithivi highway. The views of bazaars, rivers, terraced field and villages from the highway make the journey remarkable. On the way of driving you can see beautiful Himalayan mountains; Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal, and Machhapurchhre. Besi Sahar is the district capital of Lamjung district.

Annapurna Circuit trek gives a dramatic change in altitude: from the lower than 1,000m to up to 5,416m. The trail includes farmlands, and also arid, snowy fields. The path leads to attractive villages of a vast diversity of ethnic groups and offers majestic views of Himalayas. Gurung, Thakali, Magar, Brahmins and other casts reside in this region.

After Thorong La pass, the trail descends towards Muktinath. Thorong La is the highest point of Annapurna Circuit Trek. Muktinath is a place of nirvana and also one of the sacred places for Hindus and Buddhist. While entering the compound of Muktinath, there are Tibetan-style prayer wheels, Gompas and Vishnu Mandir. It is a beautiful example of a good relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism, a symbol that Nepal is a country of good interfaith.

Descending trails of Jomsom goes through Kagbeni, located on the banks of Kaligandaki River. We walk through the world’s deepest gorges of Kaligandaki, and get to the natural hot spring of Tatopani. Unwinding at the hotsprings with a drink will be a feeling like none other after long days of trek. The trek also includes Poon Hill the popular hill station for sunrise. From view tower of Poon Hill, we can see Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges. Finally, you reach Pokhara, a beautiful city with three lakes – Fewa, Begnas, and Rupa, along with the views of sparkling Machhapuchhre (Fishtail mountain) are something to savor.

We have a day for sightseeing in Pokhara, which includes visiting different museums, caves, temples and so forth, making it a fruitful day. After completing the tour in Pokhara, drive back to Kathmandu.

Photos

Itinerary

Welcome to Nepal! We will receive you the airport and transport you to hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 2

Pre-trip meeting and sightseeing around Kathmandu valley

An Apex Asia Holidays representative will organize a small pre-trip meeting at the hotel lobby before commencing the day trip. Please bring a copy of your passport, travel insurance document and three passport-size photos.

Then we head off for sightseeing of the Kathmandu Valley. You will visit three main places: Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. The Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most revered temples for Hindus. Every year thousands of pilgrims visit the temple from different countries. Bouddhanath is located in the outskirts of Kathmandu city and is a holy Buddhist monument. Meeting monks, learning about Buddhism and stupa dome is the main attractions of Bouddhanath. Finally, Bhaktapur Durbar Square large premises of ancient house and temples is a settlement of local ethnicity called Newars. Fifty-five-window Palace, golden temple, pottery house are definitely worth a visit in the tour.

After the tour, we head back to Thamel, where our guide will help you with checking gears required for the trek. There are plenty of trekking shops in Thamel, so you can rent or purchase if you’ve missed anything to bring.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 3

Drive to Besisahar (830m) by local bus.

After breakfast, you will be picked up by your trekking crew and head off for 7hrs drive to Besi Sahar. Driving along Prithvi Highway up to Dumre goes along Trishuli river until you cross Mugling, then following Marshyangdi River up to Dumre. The picturesque farmland on the banks of rivers are outstanding.

Trekking begins from Manang Chautra, Besi Sahar, and follows the valley of Marshyangdi, crossing Khudi and Bulbule to reach Nadi for lunch. After lunch, the trail climbs to Bahundaanda (1,310m) with spectacular and lush landscape surrounding you.

From Bahundanda, the trail descends to Syange at 1070m where you see a large waterfall and then you will cross a suspension bridge over Marshyandi River. Afterwards, you will reach the cobbled village of Jagat. Just before reaching Chamje (1400m) you can see more waterfalls.

The rocky trail follows the Marshyandi River and climbs to Tal (1,675m). The trail continues gradually up to Dharapani, where the stone Chorten gives the flavor of Tibetan. Dharapani is another permit checkpoint, and it is also the junction where you can meet people coming from Larkey La Pass of Manaslu trek. At Bagarchhap, you can see the village surrounded by apple orchards and maize fields.

The trip begins to climb till Temang through a jungle, and then reaches Chame via Thanchowk and Koto. Temang village is located at the bottom of Lamjung Himal and Thanchowk is the lunch place where you can enjoy a lunch with awesome views of Mt. Manaslu. Chame is the headquarter of Manang district and sports rewarding view of Mt. Annapurna II.

We leave Chame and head off to Pisang, following narrow valleys and over the treeline of Annapurna Himalayan range. Before you cross the second bridge of Marshyandi, you can see apple gardens. Ascending trails of Pisang go through blue pine forests via Dhikur Pokhari, where you will have your delicious lunch, and walk an additional 1.5 hrs to get to Lower Pisang. Late afternoon we hike up to Upper Pisang to explore the monastery and also for acclimation.

Today there are a couple of options to reach Manang. First is northern side of Marshayandi River and next is south of Marshyangdi river, both ends at Munji. The Southern way through Humde is easier than the other, whereas via Ghayru and Nawal is harder one but gives awesome views of Annapurna Range. From Munji it takes less than 2 hours to reach Manang (3,540m) via Bhraka (3,475m).

We take a rest day in Manang. Visit Chhokar Danda, crossing the Marshyangdi River and explore Gangapurna Lake. The Danda offers the view of Mt. Annapurna II, III, Mt. Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, Pisang Peak etc. We head back to the guesthouse for lunch and rest.

Slightly up the trail to Thorong Phedi, we get to see large herds of blue sheep and yaks on the barren fields. Just before the Phedi, you have to cross the landslide area which is about 10 minutes. And finally, reach Phedi where you have lunch and settle into rooms here. You can walk up to High Camp for acclimatization.

Today is the one of toughest and longest days of the trek that begins before sunrise at around 4am to cross Thorong-La Pass (5416m). It is important to cross the pass by no later than 10am to dodge the winds and potentially inclement weather. We will be well over 5,000m, which is very high altitude, so it’s important to pace ourselves comfortably and drink plenty of water. The pass is marked with praying flags and gives picturesque views of Mustang valley and high mountains up ahead. After crossing the Pass again, we need to walk for another 4hrs to reach Muktinath (3800m).

Muktinath is an important Hindu heritage site for Hindus and Buddhists alike. Thousands of pilgrims visit the place and take the holy bath at 108 holy waterspouts in the temple premises. It is considered to be the place of Nirvana, where Lord Vishnu confessed his transgression. Lord Vishnu is the main god of this temple. Likewise, there is a temple called Jwala Mai which has a natural eternal flame fueled. We stoll about Muktinath for the remainder of the day, and celebrate our success of crossing Thorung La Pass.

From today the trek goes to lower altitudes, and entering the windy valley of Kali Gandaki. You have two options to choose from, via Kagbeni. The trail of Kagbeni is a bit longer, and the meeting point of both paths is Eklebhatti. 2 more hours of walking later we reach Jomsom, the capital town of Mustang. You will have lunch at Jomsom and continue to Marpha, legendary for Apple orchids, where Apple brandy is another specialty of the town.

Continuing the trail down the Kali Gandaki valley, we reach Ghasa in about 6hrs. The beginning of the trail crosses some villages as we walk along the river bank. First we reach the village of Tukuche, and then cross Thak Khola. After few hours of walking we reach Kalo Pani, the lunch place via Larjung village and Kobang. After lunch the trail descends towards Ghasa, it takes about 1.5hours.

The descending trail leads to Tatopani, a relaxing place. It is famous for hot springs. On the trail, before you reach Tatopani you will see quite a few orange gardens, popular waterfall Ruptse Chahara and get in world’s deepest gorge of Kaligandaki at Dana. Once at Tatopani, you will have lunch and spend a tranquil day here. Having the bath in natural hot springs is a rewarding activity of the trek.

Leave the hot springs and ascend to Ghorepani, a popular place of Annapurna region. The path of today climbs up to Ghorepani, from the altitude of 1190m to 2840m, so it is a tough day. Ghorepani is the village of Magar community, where you can see the different picturesque landscapes and beautiful Himalayas.

Get up early in the wee hours of the morning to hike up to Poon Hill (3210m). The stunning sunrise view over the mountains is really worth all the effort and waking up early. After spending about an hour on the hill, we head back to Ghorepani and have breakfast before heading off to Nayapul. The trail leads through the rhododendron forest and villages inhabited by local ethnic groups. We reach Nayapul via Tikhedunga, and then drive to the lakeside city of Pokhara.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Tea House / Mountain Lodge

Highest Point: 3210m (Poon Hill)

Day 19

Pokhara city tour

After a long trip in the mountains, we will be off on a relaxing tour covering religious, historical places in Pokhara. The day tour begins after our breakfast. During the tour, you will visit Phewa Lake, Barahi Temple, Devis fall, Gupteshwor Cave, Museums and Tibetan refugee camp.

Chitwan National Park

Bardiya National Park

Paragliding in Pokhara

Details on paragliding

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 20

Drive back to Kathmandu (1,345m) and farewell dinner

We drive back to Kathmandu on a tourist bus. The drive takes about 7 hours on a scenic route. In the evening, there will be farewell dinner in a traditional Nepali restaurant with folk music and dance performance.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 21

Transfer to the airport for your final flight departure

The trip concludes today. Your guide will drop you off at the international airport for your departure back home.

Meals included: Breakfast

Price Details

Price

Group Size

Price per person

1 PAX

USD 2130

2 PAX

USD 1860

3-5 PAX

USD 1630

6-9 PAX

USD 1520

10+ PAX

USD 1490

Valid up to December 2020.

Note:

Includes

From and to airport transfer to hotel on a private tourist vehicle.

Apex Asia Holiday provides English speaking local guide.

Accommodation, foods, insurance, salary, equipment, and medicine for field staff.

Trekking/tour permits, entrance fees.

All government taxes and official expenses.

Excludes

International Airfare and taxes

All drinks including bottled/boiled water along the trekking route

Travel insurance

Personal trekking/tour gear

Any others expenses which are not mentioned on Price Includes section

Beautiful Memories!

Raj was my guide on the Annapurna Circuit. He was not only professional but a great companion and, when the going got rough, proved very efficient in implementing the necessary safety procedures. I would not hesitate to recommend Raj as an able and proficient Himalayan guide.

Important Trip Info

In Nepal, there are two kinds of transport, public and private. We mostly recommend you to use the private than the public because the roads two ways that make traffic, and the private vehicle can avoid the traffic by choosing the proper time for less traffic.

Most of the activities in Nepal is in the high Himalaya. Where you can to think about the very quality of accommodation. The mountain lodge/ tea houses are least facilitate with neat and clean. However, in the cities, there are multiple options to chose the hotel from general guesthouse to a five-star hotel.

In Nepal, you will get the extensive food menu. From the international food menu to local foods. Dal Bhat is the main course of Nepal. Your guide will help you to choose the suitable food, on the trek and tour.

Trekking is the popular trekking ventures in Nepal, which is always in the High Himalaya and where we have the chance to get altitude sickness. So, it is highly recommended to learn more about the High Altitude Sickness before you start the trek. Hurry can be deadly in Nepal Himalaya. Walk slow, and give enough time to your body to fit in the high altitude. Drinking more water and stepping slowly with rest is the best protection against altitude sickness.

It is necessary to have travel insurance before you embark on any trip. The insurance policy should include the cost of medical expenses, any damage or loss of your luggage, and cancellation.

Nepal is one of the safe and more peaceful countries around the world. Even though you must have your Travel Insurance and the should cover the area which is on your itinerary.

Traveling is the way of getting in touch with the local peoples. It is important to recognize what is acceptable in the society, such as dresses, behaviors, and language. There might be different than your own country. Most of the people can communicate in English in the cities and also some touristy towns but if you have learned a few words Nepali, like greetings “Namaste” that make a huge difference.

Apex Asia Holidays always concern about the health and safety of the clients. Our guide carries a first aid kit with the directed medicine by the doctors. We also recommend you to discuss with your doctor about your visit at least a month ago. In case of severe or emergency, we transfer you to the nearest hospital. Safety is the first important for us as a responsible tour agency, so we do not take unnecessary risk.

Group Leader and Crew General

Equipment Checklist

Passports and extra photos

Any prescribed medicine

Water bottle

Head Lamp

Ibuprofen for general pain/ ache

Pepto Bismol capsules for upset stomach or diarrhea

Sun creams

Small Day Pack

A cap to protect your ear and neck from sunlight

Warm wool or synthetic hat

UV protective glaciers sunglasses - better to have side shield.

A pair liner woolen gloves for mild days and heavy for morning and evening

Three cotton t-shirts

Three synthetic t-shirt

Two long sleeve polyesters, light colored shirts for sunny days.

A soft shell jacket, water resistant, with insulation, underarm ventilation zippers. The full front zipper is preferable for ventilation.

For women two synthetic sports bras, no cotton.

Two pairs of nylon hiking shorts.

Underwear, stay away from cotton.

Two pairs lightweight long underwear.

Two pair trekking pants, preferably that zip on/off at the knees.

At least four pairs of liner socks, synthetic. And three pair heavyweight socks to be worn over liner socks.

A pair of lightweight socks, a good option for the lower / warmer parts of the trail and also on lodges at the time of dinner.

A pair light to medium weight waterproof hiking/trekking boots. Make sure the size and should have to be avoidable for blister.

A pair light trekking shoes or sneakers to wear in and about camps or lodge.

Private Trip

Depending on your requirements, we can make this a private trip for you and your group. Please mention this at the time of booking online.

Customized Trip

This is a template of this trip. We can modify the activities and/or days depending on your time availability, budget and interest.

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Voluntourism

On April 25th, 2015, a 7.8M earthquake struck Gorkha, which claimed 19,000 lives. Half a million houses were destroyed, leaving countless without homes and livelihood. Help the people of Nepal through our trip!

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